AI Gadgets: Meta Ray-Ban Glasses, Pins and Earbuds — 2026-09-24
Meta Connect 2026 (Sept 23–24) delivered a sweeping glasses lineup: the camera-less $349 Ray-Ban Meta Audio, third-gen Ray-Ban Meta, a $1,299.99 Meta VR Glasses wearable, and the Muse AI agent plus an AI "Tamagotchi" pendant called Muse Charm. Meanwhile, Apple reportedly paused its camera-equipped AI pin, and Chinese rivals from Alibaba showed new glasses days earlier at the Yunqi conference.
AI Gadgets: Meta Ray-Ban Glasses, Pins and Earbuds — 2026-09-24
Top developments
Meta launches camera-less Ray-Ban Meta Audio at $349
At Meta Connect 2026 in Menlo Park (Sept 23), Meta introduced the Ray-Ban Meta Audio Glasses — its first smart glasses without a camera, priced at $349 — a direct response to privacy backlash that has dogged camera-equipped pairs. Muse, Meta's AI agent, is also coming to all of its glasses.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 ships Sept 24 with 3K camera and 9-hour battery
The third-gen Ray-Ban Meta launched on Sept 24 with a 3K Ultra HD camera, six-microphone array, up to nine hours of battery and — for the first time — the classic Aviator style. In Japan, pricing starts at ¥78,980 (tax included). Tom's Guide notes incremental updates but "the same privacy controls."
Meta VR Glasses: Quest-class device at one-fifth the weight, $1,299.99
Meta revealed "Meta VR Glasses," a glasses-form VR device weighing about one-fifth of Quest 3, launching spring 2027 at $1,299.99. Japan is among the 13 launch countries via both direct sales and mass retailers. The Verge counted it among the seven biggest Connect announcements.
Muse Charm: an AI "Tamagotchi" pendant
Zuckerberg closed the keynote with the Muse Charm, a handheld pendant that carries Meta's personalized Muse AI assistant — a new AI pin/charm form factor straight out of the Humane playbook.
Apple reportedly shelves its camera-equipped AI pin
Citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (Sept 22), Apple has postponed the rumored AirTag-sized AI pin/pendant that would have used a camera to feed Siri visual context. Commenters argue camera-equipped AirPods Pro make more sense for the same Visual Intelligence goals.
Local view
- Japan: AV Watch's veteran commentator Nishida reported hands-on impressions of the lightweight VR glasses (spring 2027 Japan launch), while MoguLive noted Meta plans to exceed 100 smart-glasses model variants by end of 2026.
- China: On Sept 22 at Alibaba's Yunqi conference in Hangzhou, the Qianwen AI glasses N1 and N1 Pro plus a Bose-tuned ear-clip earbud were unveiled, with online pre-orders opening same-day and retail sales on Oct 13. Chinese consumer media heavily compared Xiaomi's ¥1,999 glasses against Meta's $799 Ray-Ban Display. Chinese commentary also flagged reported return rates as high as 70% in the category, alongside Omdia's figure of 4.2 million AI glasses shipped globally in H1 2026 (+127% YoY), with Meta holding an 81.3% share.
Context & numbers
- Worldwide AI glasses shipments grew 263% YoY in H1 2026 (Counterpoint Research), with display-less products leading.
- Omdia counted 4.2 million AI glasses shipped in H1 2026 (+127%), with Meta at 81.3% share and Alibaba, INMO (影目) and Xiaomi combining for 46.1% of the Chinese market.
- Combined Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta sales surpassed 7 million pairs in 2025, against a 20-million target cited around Connect 2026.
- Q2 2026 XR shipments rose 35.3% YoY, with glasses at ~85% of the mix (IDC).
- Key prices: Ray-Ban Meta Audio $349; Meta VR Glasses $1,299.99; Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 in Japan from ¥78,980; Meta Ray-Ban Display $799 vs Xiaomi at ¥1,999 in China.
On the radar
- Oct 13: Alibaba Qianwen N1 / N1 Pro glasses go on sale in China; pricing still unannounced.
- Spring 2027: Meta VR Glasses launch in Japan and 12 other countries at $1,299.99.
- Watch for whether Apple shifts the paused pin concept toward AirPods with cameras — Bloomberg's report is rumored-status, not confirmed by Apple.
- CNET's Connect coverage flags continued weak privacy safeguards as a likely ongoing flashpoint for camera-equipped models.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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